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| Rob Adams (left) and Chris Erway (right) call the game |
So last night the Greenwich Cardinals fell to the Darien Blue Wave in the Class LL State Football Quarterfinals at Boyle Stadium in Stamford. The game is not what I'm going to talk about here.
First off, a big thank you to Rob Adams for having me part of the WGCH Radio crew this season. I am thankful that when Rob came back to call Greenwich Football on WGCH this fall, he wanted me to be around helping out. (Even if I don't think I am a big help. Rob will tell you he likes me being around.)
Now to yesterday. I arrive at Boyle around 4pm. After figuring out the best spot to park at Boyle, as there are many lots and it is raining, I walk up to the press and find Rob already setting up the equipment for a 6:30 kick-off. The way the press box and Boyle Stadium is set up is there is a big middle section (although the middle section has two parts) with two sections offset of the main section. We (the WGCH crew) is given the left section.
A little while later, Chris Erway, Rob's "A-Team" broadcast partner shows up. The three of us (well mostly, Rob and Chris) check to make sure the wireless mics work down on the field for the third member of the broadcast team, Ian Barto, can be the sideline reporter.
While Rob and I are on the field testing the wireless microphone, a representative from the Stamford High Athletic Department asks Rob where we are set up. Rob points and shows the booth we are set up in. Rob is told that the Darien coaches may be using that booth (realize, we are already set up and it takes time to make sure everything is connected properly). We wait but prepare as though we are going to move.
Fast forward to 5:30, half and hour before we are supposed to go on for the pre-game show and an hour before game-time. The Stamford administration tells us that in fact the Darien coaching staff will be using that booth so we have to move. Oh and by the way, it rained all day and was still raining off and on so we were not going to be set up outside.
The Stamford administration found us a spot in the main part of the press box. We quickly moved all of the equipment from the room we were to the new spot and then Rob went ahead and re-plugged everything in. Due to the space change, there was no room for the transmitter for Ian to be a sideline reporter. To Ian's credit he still went down to the field and fed Rob information the entire game through text message.
Due to the weather, the press box area was full. Besides Rob, Chris, and I, others in the section of the press box were the scoreboard operator, the public address announcer and a spotter. Also in the box at times were other media including Dave Ruden of The Ruden Report, Dave Fierro of The Greenwich Time, Paul Siverfarb from the Greenwich Sentinel and a camera operator from The HAN Network was just to the right of Chris Erway's right shoulder (The rest of The HAN Network was off to the right in the other part of the booth)
Due to the move, we didn't get on as early as planned but Sean Kilkelly did a great job back in the studio to bridge the gap and set up the broadcast. Once Rob and Chris went on the air, the broadcast went well and despite the outcome for the Cardinals it was a pleasure to be a part of.
As always, we made it work. Rob and Chris have been doing this for a long time and are always prepared for whatever obstacles get thrown their way.
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| Boyle Stadium around 4:15 yesterday |
